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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cap — a hat
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. season — in sport
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. season — of the year
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — steady
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. sharp — clever
  20. degree — from a university
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. cap — of ice
  24. firm — a company

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com